A method for functionalizing a surface of a dielectric plate that is transparent to visible light—to be able to examine the dielectric plate using optical microscopy—includes depositing a negative film on the dielectric slide. The negative film comprises a polymerizable composition that polymerizes when exposed to an electron beam. The polymerizable composition is polymerized—by exposing the negative film to the electronic beam—at a set of points representing a preset pattern. Non-polymerized portions of the polymerizable composition are dissolved—to develop the negative film—forming a set of pads of polymerized portions of the polymerizable composition. Each pad corresponds to one point of the preset pattern. A metal film is disposed on the negative film, and the developed negative film is dissolved to define holes through the metal film. Each of the holes corresponds to a base of one pad of the set of pads.

A method for functionalizing a surface of a dielectric plate that is transparent to visible light—to be able to examine the dielectric plate using optical microscopy—includes depositing a negative film on the dielectric slide. The negative film comprises a polymerizable composition that polymerizes when exposed to an electron beam. The polymerizable composition is polymerized—by exposing the negative film to the electronic beam—at a set of points representing a preset pattern. Non-polymerized portions of the polymerizable composition are dissolved—to develop the negative film—forming a set of pads of polymerized portions of the polymerizable composition. Each pad corresponds to one point of the preset pattern. A metal film is disposed on the negative film, and the developed negative film is dissolved to define holes through the metal film. Each of the holes corresponds to a base of one pad of the set of pads.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of deriving information from an optically readable security element, comprising: optically reading the optically readable security element, the optically readable security element comprising at least one optically readable structure, optically readable in response to excitation of the optically readable structure; the reading comprising determining data indicative of an optical property of the optically readable security element using first emission electromagnetic radiation, emitted in response to excitation of the optically readable structure; the deriving information further comprising using the determined data indicative of an optical property, in combination with a temporal excitation-emission relationship related to the optically readable structure, to derive the information.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of deriving information from an optically readable security element, comprising: optically reading the optically readable security element, the optically readable security element comprising at least one optically readable structure, optically readable in response to excitation of the optically readable structure; the reading comprising determining data indicative of an optical property of the optically readable security element using first emission electromagnetic radiation, emitted in response to excitation of the optically readable structure; the deriving information further comprising using the determined data indicative of an optical property, in combination with a temporal excitation-emission relationship related to the optically readable structure, to derive the information.

Embodiments described herein include systems and techniques for converting (i.e., transducing) a quantum-level (e.g., single photon) signal between the three wave forms (i.e., optical, acoustic, and microwave). A suspended crystalline structure is used at the nanometer scale to accomplish the desired behavior of the system as described in detail herein. Transducers that use a common acoustic intermediary transform optical signals to acoustic signals and vice versa as well as microwave signals to acoustic signals and vice versa. Other embodiments described herein include systems and techniques for storing a qubit in phonon memory having an extended coherence time. A suspended crystalline structure with specific geometric design is used at the nanometer scale to accomplish the desired behavior of the system.

A bi-phased approach between good solvents (or non-polar) and bad solvents (polar) can be used to assemble nanorods into highly ordered monolayers or multilayers of ordered nanorod arrays. These ordered nanorod arrays can display unique optical properties. For example, ordered arrays of CdSe/CdS core/shell nanorods were assembled that display polarized photoluminescence.

A quantum dot composition, including a first quantum dot and a second quantum dot, wherein a valence band maximum energy level of the first quantum dot is different from a valence band maximum energy level of the second quantum dot, as determined by ambient photoelectron spectroscopy, and an energy band gap of the first quantum dot is identical to an energy band gap of the second quantum dot, as determined by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy.

A metalens includes one or more regions of nanostructures. A first region of nanostructures directs a first field of view (FOV) of light incident on the first region of nanostructures to a first region of an image plane. A second region of nanostructures directs a second FOV of light incident on the second region of nanostructures to a second region of the image plane in which the second FOV is different from the first FOV, and the second region of the image plane is different from the first region of the image plane. A third region of nanostructures directs a third FOV of light to a third region of the image plane, in which the third FOV is different from the first FOV and the second FOV, and the third region of the image plane is different from the first region and the second region of the image plane.

Devices for radiative cooling and optical waveguiding are provided, wherein the devices comprise a fabric including one or more fibers extending for a length in a longitudinal direction and a plurality of void structures positioned within each of the one or more fibers and extended over the length of each of the one or more fibers. Each of the plurality of void structures is configured to scatter at least a portion of an electromagnetic radiation received thereon to thereby radiatively cool the object.

A light emitting material includes: luminescent nanoparticles; and an ionic crystal containing an anionic component represented by formula (1) below. In the formula, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently denote a fluorine atom or a fluoroalkyl group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each denote a fluoroalkylene group to be connected to each other to form a ring. ##STR00001##